**Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book

Effie was born with a heart condition and has lived a mostly shelter and protected life. Her sister Luella, is a spirited girl who isn't afraid to say what she's thinking. Shortly after they come across of camp of gypsies, Luella disappears. Effie believes that her parents found out about the gypsies and has sent Luella to live at the House of Mercy, a home for troubled girls. Effie is determined to bring her sister home and pays a local man to turn her into the House of Mercy. Once there, Effie realizes she made a terrible mistake. Her sister is not there. How will Effie get out of the House of Mercy? Where is Luella? Will they ever see each other again?

The story is told in 3 points of view. First Effie, born with a heart condition. She wasn't expected to live long. Jeanne, the mother of Luella and Effie. Lastly, Mabel, another girl in the House of Mercy.

I mostly enjoyed this story. I had never heard of homes like the House of Mercy and did not know they existed in the early 1900's. They were basically prison camps for young girls. I thought that the plot and the story overall really flowed nicely. I enjoyed Effie's toughness and determination to stay alive. I loved reading about Mabel and how she came to live in the House of Mercy. I liked how their lives intertwined. They had to trust each other to survive. While others have said it was hard to follow the timelines, I didn't have an issue with it at all.

I wish that more of the story would have taken place inside the House of Mercy. After reading the note from the author I feel like the they really wanted to portray the stories of some of the young girls that lived there and how they were treated but I feel more could have been done with that storyline. I learned more about these prison camps and girls from the authors note instead of the story itself.

Born with a heart defect, Effie Tildon wasn't meant to live a very long life. Now, coming on 14 years old, she's grown accustomed to the overprotective and sheltered life she's lived along with her older sister, Luella, in their large family mansion. Determined to have a little fun, the pair start sneaking out and roaming the gypsy camps in the woods by their home. Here, Luella especially, starts to open up and enjoy all the things in life they had been kept away from, and her brazen attitude comes out tenfold after the girls accidentally stumble upon a secret their father has been keeping.

One morning, Effie wakes to find Luella gone, and she's convinced her parents have found out about the gypsy's, and have locked Luella up in the House of Mercy, a local home for wayward girls. She hatches a plan to get herself committed in hopes of finding Luella and breaking her out, but when she realizes she's made a grave miscalculation, the only hope for her survival is Mable, a tough girl with secrets of her own. The pair must learn to put their differences aside and truly trust one another if they mean to make it out alive.

This book had me completely hooked. It's told in three perspectives: Effie's, Mable's and Effie's mother, Jeanne. In Mable's case, it's mostly flashbacks detailing how she came to be in the House of Mercy, and all the hardships and betrayals she's had to face. I thought her backstory was so interesting and really pulled the curtain back on how life was like for young girls during this time period. She was such a strong character, but being on this journey with Effie and the way they interacted, brought an almost vulnerability to her that softened her hardness. I thought Effie grew so much throughout this as well. She started off a naive child who needed to be cared for and blossomed into one who could stand on her own and wasn't afraid of succumbing to her "blue fits." Aside from the characters, I thought that the setting felt very real to New York in the 1910's; it was gritty, grimy and unforgiving. My only small gripe was that I felt the story was a tad slow at times, and I would've loved to learn a bit more about the House of Mercy (which was a real place at the time), but other than that, I definitely recommend.

Luella and Effie are young women coming into their own. Born into a rich and affluent family, they both chafe against the rules and restrictions of high society. After befriending a group of Gypsy's that are camping nearby, Luella disappears. Effie believes her parents have sent her to the House of Mercy, a workhouse for troubled girls. Determined to find her sister, Effie pays a poor local to turn her into the workhouse. Once inside, Effie realizes that she has made a horrible mistake.

This book was a bit slow to start. However, it really picked up momentum once Luella disappeared. At times Effie came across as a bit younger than her age, but perhaps this was on purpose to enhance her innocence and the shock of the workhouse. Both Effie and Luella were extremely likeable and interesting. Overall, well worth picking up.

The Girls with No Names takes place in New York City from 1910 - 1913 and focuses on the well-to-do Tildon family and the House of Mercy, a Protestant Episcopal home (work house) for wayward girls. In an age where women have not yet found their voice, a man could send his daughter to the home for any real or perceived infraction. It is a brutal, horrific place, and one that few of the young women ever left.

Sisters Louella and Effie are extremely close. Louella chafes against the strict rules imposed upon her, and things worsen when she discovers a secret about her father that shatters any respect she had for him. The household awakes one day to find her gone. Effie, certain that her father put Louella in the House of Mercy, and desperate to be with her again, gets herself admitted to the House of Mercy under a false name, only to find that Louella isn't there. and no one believes her attempts to tell the truth. Where did Louella go? Can Effie stay alive and get herself out of her prison?

The story is told from three points of view: Effie, 10, the youngest Tildon daughter, who was born with a heart defect; Jeanne, her mother; and Mabel, one of the young girls in the House of Mercy.

I had hoped to like this book more than I did. While the story is interesting, it's a bit sluggish. I found it easy to put down, an indication that the book is not a good match for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for allowing me to read an ARC of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I absolutely love books like The Girls With No Names by Serena Burdick. New York City in 1910? YES PLEASE.

My favorite historical fiction setting is early NYC (or early Dublin or London). I wish I could take a glimpse at what life was like back then. Thankfully there are books like this one that can transport us.

Take a look:

Not far from Luella and Effie Tildon’s large family mansion in Inwood looms the House of Mercy, a work house for wayward girls. The sisters grow up under its shadow with the understanding that even as wealthy young women, their freedoms come with limits. But when the sisters accidentally discover a shocking secret about their father, Luella, the brazen older sister, becomes emboldened to do as she pleases.

But her rebellion comes with consequences, and one morning Luella is mysteriously gone. Effie suspects her father has made good on his threat to send Luella to the House of Mercy and hatches a plan to get herself committed to save her sister. But she made a miscalculation, and with no one to believe her story, Effie’s escape from the House of Mercy seems impossible—unless she can trust an enigmatic girl named Mable. As their fates entwine, Mable and Effie must rely on each other and their tenuous friendship to survive.


The setting was fantastic and the story is an emotional one. Something to keep in mind is that the House of Mercy was an actual place and if you would like to learn more, you can go here.

This book will be out on January 7, pre-order on Amazon.

The Girls with No Names is a book I could not stop reading until I finished the entire story. Even then, the characters are with me still. Effie barely survived her birth - she was born at the turn of the century with a large hole in her heart and not expected to live through the week. Fourteen years later she's sneaking out of the house with her older sister Louella. The girls hear beautiful violin music and come upon a Romany camp full of hard-working, colorful people. Of course the girls come back again and again, Effie to get her mind off her illness, and Louella to escape the control of her old-fashioned parents. Effie wants to be a writer and is adept at creating fanciful tales for her sister and the Romany children. Louella is training to be a ballerina but chafes at the strict boundaries that her parents set for her. Everything changes when they spot their father kissing a beautiful, modern woman. The girls lose faith in their father and mother, who puts up with the infidelity. Louella becomes angrier by the minute, where Effie withdraws into herself.
Effie comes home from school to be whisked into town by her mother. They return that evening to learn that Louella has been sent to "summer camp." until she changes her wayward behavior. Effie, sensing that this isn't true gets herself admitted to Mercy House, a home for wayward girls just three doors down from the family estate. When she learns that Louella isn't there, Effie has to find a way back to her sister and her family before her illness takes its toll.

Serena Burdick has given us a well-researched, highly entertaining book. The notes included at the end were just as interesting as the novel - which we learn is based on fact. The turn of the century was a dynamic time for women and Burdick works that into the story as well as the persecution faced by women who made choices that were less than moral. The point of view changes from Effie, to her mother Jeanne, to Mable - an intriguing young woman who shows up later in the story. This was a unique book about compelling characters - I enjoyed every page! Readers of historical fiction will enjoy reading this book - but I think just about any adult who reads would like it.

This book is told by three perspectives, Effie, a young girl with a bad heart, Mable, another young girl that has had a rough road to follow and then we have Effie’s mother, Jeanne. The pros, a well written book with lots of heart from Effie showing her love for her sister. The cons, the story was a bit disjointed, sometimes it was difficult to follow the timeline and, in the end, I didn’t know if we had covered several years or if it was really just one year. Also, I could not believe the police department did such a poor investigation during their search.
But even with the cons, this was a most interesting read, I’ve read several books on the mismanagement of orphanages in the early 1900’s and this one was par on the course. The ending was very touching, I recommend this story.
I was given the opportunity to receive this book from Harlequin – Park Row through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets 4****’s.

This was a compelling story. Luella and Effie are sisters living a lovely, protected life in a mansion that is just down the street from the House of Mercy, a home for wayward girls. Given that at one point, their father threatens to take headstrong Luella there to teach her a lesson, this becomes a source of fascination for them. Once Luella discovers her father's secret, she no longer feels the need to follow his rules and spends more time at the gypsy camp (see historical note regarding this term) down by the river. When Effie discovers that Luella has disappeared, she fears that she has finally been sent to the House of Mercy as punishment for her disobedience. Effie comes up with a scheme to get her sister back that puts her in jeopardy, and her parents in fear of losing both of their daughters.

3.75 stars

Effie and Luella are sisters. On Jan 1, 1900, Effie was born with a heart defect and they didn’t think she’d live long. She has, however, made it to 14 years old when the two sisters discover the gypsies living nearby. Luella, being a risk-taker, convinces Effie to come with her to visit regularly. When Luella disappears, Effie needs to find her! Effie is convinced her parents found out about the gypsies and have deposited Luella into the nearby “home” for wayward girls, the House of Mercy. Effie comes up with a plan to get in, herself, in order to be reunited with Luella.

The summary I’ve provided is actually the slower part of the book, in my opinion. It really picked up after Effie got into the House of Mercy. Right around that point in the book (maybe half-way through?), the perspective changes away from Effie, and we sometimes get her mother’s perspective, and sometimes the perspective of another girl at the House of Mercy, along with her background/story. I thought this is where the book really picked up, and I enjoyed the second half more. It was interesting to learn of the House of Mercy (which was real), and the kinds of things that went on in “homes” like this. Also interesting was a big event worked in to the storyline, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I could see it coming, with a few of the characters working there… As always, I appreciated the historical note at the end.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

"The Girls with No Names pulls readers into the gilded age of New York City in the 1910s, when suffragettes marched in the street, unions fought for better work conditions—and girls were confined to the House of Mercy for daring to break the rules."

The story is told from three perspectives with the focus on Effie's family dynamics. I felt the story was bogged down, the connections between the characters and their backgrounds were not immediately clear and took some time to be told. The House of Mercy plays a prominent part of the story, but this is not the book to learn more about it. An okay read.

3.25☆

I was drawn to The Girls With No Names because of the description: "atmospheric, heart-warming," and the fact that the House of Mercies (home for wayward girls) was historically factual. I think "atmospheric" was mostly bleak, and I'm not sure that there was anything heartwarming to me in the story. About half way through, I began to skim.
I appreciated the fact that all of the fathers in the story truly loved their daughters and treated them with kindness. But the girls who were separated from the protection of their parents were in grave danger, and their lives slogged from one misery to another. I think this story could benefit by being leaner and more focused.

Effie Tildon and her sister Luella are the daughters of an affluent family in New York City in the early twentieth century. Where Luella is bold and occasionally reckless, Effie is quiet and calm, though eager to spend time with her sister. The two have a very structured life, obeying the rules set by society and by their parents. A violation of the rules could land them in the House of Mercy, a workhouse for “wayward women.” When Luella disappears one day, Effie is sure that their father has finally made good on his threat to commit her to the House of Mercy. In a bid to find her sister, she finds her own way into the house as a new resident, only to discover that not only is her sister not there, escape is nearly impossible. Once Effie is interned in the House of Mercy, two other narrators are introduced: Effie’s mother, distraught over the disappearances of both of her daughters, and Mable, another girl in the House of Mercy.

While Effie’s story was interesting, I felt like it was lacking in weight to anchor the rest of the novel. Her insistence that Luella is in the House of Mercy, despite the assurances of her parents, seems unfounded. Almost everything that happens to Effie is predictable, which made me less eager to continue the story. Mable’s story is similarly predictable, but I feel like she had more depth as a character. In my opinion, the book would have worked better had it focused on Mable as primary narrator and brought Effie in as a secondary narrator later in the story.

Overall, the book is a trip into a discarded part of American history, and it was interesting to encounter the United States’ equivalent of the more famous Irish Magdelene laundries. I would recommend it as a book club read, since I think there’s plenty to discuss. Unless an individual is a huge fan of historical fiction set in the urban United States during the early 1900s, or enjoys narratives about women dealing with and escaping oppressive institutions, I might suggest giving this one a pass.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the story of two sisters Luella and Effie who are raised in New York. Their father does well and they live well. Luella and Effie are very close, even though they are 3 years apart in age. They wander off and find a group of gypsies, with whom Luella is enchanted. She runs off with them at the age of 16, leaving a note. Effie is not told of the note, and goes in search of her sister, thinking that their father sent her to a home for wayward girls. Effie gets herself installed there but doesn't find Luella. Effie is befriended by another inmate, and together they try to escape. There's much more to this story. You must read it.

Lovely heartbreaking story of 2 sisters. The characters are so well developed and the story is told so beautifully. Although it will make you sad, this book will also give you hope and many other feels. Thank you to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A heart-wrenching story about courageous girls thrust into circumstances that resulted from their unfortunate choices. The author brought this story and characters to life through her amazing descriptions and details. I could picture everything as it happened. All of the characters were heroines in one way or another, which added more intrigue to the story. I couldn’t put the book down! I especially enjoyed the history about the Houses to reform wayward girls.

It’s the gilded age with a dramatic story set in New York City in the 1910’s.

Young Luella and Effie Tildon live in their large family mansion just down the way from The House of Mercy, a home for wayward girls. The sisters grow up in its shadow. They learn quickly their prestigious upbringing won’t protect even wealthy young women. But when the sisters accidentally discover a shocking secret about their father, Luella, the brazen older sister, decides she can do as she pleases. There are consequences.

13-year-old Effie Tildon , born with a heart conditition that should have ended her life as an infant, adores her older sister, Luella. One day they discover a band of Gypsies camping near their home. Intrigued by these colorful folk, the two sisters begin sneaking out to sing, dance, and have their fortunes told. They know their parents would be horrified. The sisters are simply having a little fun, exploring a new world.

One day, out of the blue, Effie is informed her sister has been sent away to “summer camp” but Luella is sure they have incarcerated her sister in the House of Mercy. Effie’s plan to rescue Luella lands her inside The House of Mercy. Here she meets Mable Winter, who has plenty of secrets of her own to hide.

This story portrays the bleak lives of women in early-20th-century New York. Even though born to privilege, as the Tildon girls are, or the tenement slum girl like Mable, each girl must fight for their freedom.

I enjoyed the historic setting of the story but as a thriller, I found the events to unfold a little too slowly. I wanted a little more story and less build up to the events.

I was excited to read this ARC.

Dedicated to those who lost their voices to House of Mercy
House of Mercy is Protestant Episcopal Home for wayward girls.

Three young girls tell different stories
different backgrounds
some differences make us share similarities.

You will scream, cheer, and want to help the characters,
I had feelings on the entire spectrum!

You will want to read this book!

This is a lovely heartbreaking story . Follows the lives of two very close sisters Effie and Luella Tildon . When the sisters visit a gypsy and Luella becomes enchanted and long for a life of adventure. Soon after she rebels against her parents she runs away to join them her sister’s grief sets her out to find her sister and leads her to the house of mercy and Mabel . Mabel’s story is tragic and enthralling. This book is beautifully written and hard to put down

This book is a great example of a work that doesn’t live up to its potential. The idea is fantastic, and at some points the editing and story telling really did capture me and put me firmly in the work. Unfortunately it seems like the author tried to do too much - it never feels like the Mercy House was actually a focal point of the book, which is odd considering the title, wrote up, and authors notes at the end (I actually think Not Without My sister which seems to have been a working title would have been a better choice). There are too many “main characters” and POV switching which results in none of them feeling fully fleshed out, which is a shame because they all have fantastic potential.